Niger Delta militants reject NDDC’s conditions for project execution

The Niger Delta Watchdogs (a militant group), has rejected the requirements set for contractors by the Niger Delta Development Commission for the execution of projects in the oil rich region.

The militant group, in a statement signed by its leader, General John Duku, described the requirements as intimidating.
They stated on Thursday that the requirements as published in two national dailies were set in order to deny the youths and young contractors the opportunity to bid for jobs.

Though the agitators hailed the NDDC for the proposed massive projects, they maintained that conditions set for would-be contractors was an injustice to the young people of the oil bearing region.

“We view the recent job tenders published by the Niger Delta Development Commission on Wednesday March 15, 2017, in The Nation and ThisDay newspapers with great concern; it shows that the present board of the commission is making effort to develop the Niger Delta region through the massive projects the commission proposed to embark upon.

“However, we reject in its entirety the intimidating requirements set by the commission in order to deny the youths and the young contractors the opportunity to quote for the jobs, knowing that the youths who are able to have a company may not have these requirements to tender, even though they have the technical ability, experience and will to execute the contract if given opportunity to do so.

“It could be recalled that the same injustice to the young people in Niger Delta is what is bringing restiveness to the region in recent times.

“We therefore demand that 25 per cent of the jobs published in the above stated newspapers be set aside for the Niger Delta youths, ex-agitators and the requirements should be set aside to enable them to partake in the process; as this would be a step in the right direction towards the resolution of the Niger Delta crisis,” the militant group added.

The agitators, who expressed satisfaction over the return of President Mohammadu Buhari from abroad in good health, urged him to sack non-performing ministers in his cabinet and replace them with creative minds.

According to the Niger Delta Watchdogs, “We wish to use this opportunity to welcome Mr. President back to the country, we celebrate his coming back in good health in order to deliver his promises to Nigerians.”